The National Rural Health Alliance is proud to read that Dr James Fitzpatrick has won the Professions Award, West Australian of the Year 2017.

James has been a close friend of the Alliance since his early days as a medical student. It has been inspiring to watch him grow as a person and medical professional and to see all the valuable work he continues to do.

James is a pioneering consultant paediatrician, clinical researcher and health service innovator, who is undertaking ground-breaking research in the field of Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD).

He is Head of the Telethon Kids Institute’s Alcohol and Pregnancy and FASD research program, a member of the Australian National Advisory Council on Alcohol and Drugs, and Inaugural Chair of the Australian FASD Clinical Network.

James has been working closely with remote communities for over 15 years to ‘make FASD history’ and has already seen extraordinary and inspiring results.

In 2001 James was awarded Young Australian of the Year for his work in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health, rural health workforce improvement and youth suicide prevention.

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